Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• More news regarding the allegedly racially motivated assault on the US embassy staff member
• Comments on the Latvian policy towards asylum seekers and refugees in Diena
• Article about the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Latvijas Avize prints an article about ethnicity and crime
• Chas concerned about the threats of closure of the Cesis Secondary School No 2
• Russian youth: Russian speaking youth in Latvia should be more involved in significant public affairs
• Informal insight into the Muslim community in Latvia

The representatives of the Main Police Department of Riga announced that they have identified and detained persons who committed an assault on the dark skin staff member of the US embassy to Latvia. As reported, the victim claimed that the assault was racially motivated, however, the police initiated a case on the grounds of hooliganism. It has been revealed that detained persons claimed to follow the skinhead movement. They also claim that the assault was not planned in advance. Two of the detainees wanted to become full-fledged members of the group and therefore they attacked the dark skin person.

The representatives of the Main Police Department of Riga announced that they have identified and detained persons who committed an assault on the dark skin staff member of the US embassy to Latvia. As reported, the victim claimed that the assault was racially motivated, however, the police initiated a case on the grounds of hooliganism. It has been revealed that detained persons claimed to follow the skinhead movement. They also claim that the assault was not planned in advance. Two of the detainees wanted to become full-fledged members of the group and therefore they attacked the dark skin person. Diena, Latvijas Avize

Diena prints a comprehensive article on the Latvias policy towards asylum seekers and refugees by mgs.sc.dev. Ieva Valaine. She discusses the Latvian policy on asylum seekers and refugees in the light of the case of recently detained refugees from Somalia. Ieva Valaine stresses that Latvia has adopted a brutal policy towards asylum seekers. She believes that the policy is ‘more and more alienated from those very few international moral norms which were incorporated in Latvian legislation with such difficulties. She notes that policy on refugees and asylum seekers is a new practice for Latvia and further points out a number of flaws in the law. For instance, the author notes that according to Latvian legislation ‘an asylum seeker is a person who has filed a written application of a request, while many people who arrive from the development countries cannot write and read. The author of the article believes that the way Latvia treats refugees shows to what extent Latvia respects human rights in general. According to Ieva Valaine the national policy towards refugees has developed on the basis of fears that a mass influx of Russian speakers would occur. In the conclusion the author calls human right organisations and the political elite to take more active measures to fight xenophobia in society.

Vesti Segodnya features an article about the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law. The newspaper criticises an amendment developed by the union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM, which stipulates the suspension of naturalisation till revision of all legal norms concerning naturalisation is completed. The MP Boris Cilevics sharply criticises the draft amendments prepared by the Ministry of Justice, stating that Latvia is the only state in Europe where loyalty to the state is interpreted as loyalty to the ruling elite. The MP also stresses that a person may be banned to acquire Latvian citizenship only if the court has adopted a ruling which confirms persons involvement in anti-state activities. The MP notes that neither politicians nor state officials may adopt such decisions.

Latvijas Avize prints an article by Visvaldis Lacis about the relations between ethnicity and crime in Latvia. He claims to refer to the report of the Vidzeme Regional Courts (Vidzemes apgabaltiesa) prosecutor Krisjanis Rudzitis, who, in his turn, has claimed that the number of Russians who have committed various types of crime is much higher than the number of any other ethnicity.

Chas expresses its concern about the threats of the closure of the Cesis Secondary School No 2, which is the only Russian-language secondary school in this town. According to the newspaper, this year there will be four 10-grade classes for Latvians, while only one for Russians. The school will not have any 1 grade class with Russian as the language of instruction this year. The newspaper points to the fact that there is no Russian kindergarten in the town and that has resulted in the decision of many Russian speaking parents to send their children to Latvian-language schools.

‘Russian-speaking youth in Latvia should be more involved in significant state affairs,’ stated representatives of youth from Russia during the seminar organised by the European Students Forum. The seminar was financially supported by the Latvian Embassy to Russia. The main topics of the seminar were the minority education in Latvia and milestones in the Russian and Latvian history.

‘Russian-speaking youth in Latvia should be more involved in significant state affairs, stated representatives of youth from Russia during the seminar organised by the European Students Forum. The seminar was financially supported by the Latvian Embassy to Russia. The main topics of the seminar were the minority education in Latvia and milestones in the Russian and Latvian history. Neatkariga Rita Avize

Dienas supplement Sestdiena prints a comprehensive article on the Muslim community in Latvia. Although there is no mosque in Latvia, a number of Muslims come together to hold their prayers. On particular days there are about 700 people. The author of the article attends Muslims prayer place in Riga and talks to a number of Muslims (both men and women), among them those who have converted to the Islamic faith.